Hakkinen Hacks It, Jaded Jagr, & More

How good will the 'Niners be?Coming off a 6-10 season, the San Francisco 49ers have every reason to be optimistic for the 2001 campaign. With what amounted to the worst defense in the league, the 49ers made some drastic changes. They let go of Brenston Buckner, Ken Norton Jr., Winfred Tubbs, and Anthony Pleasant. In other words, an already young defense will be even younger this fall. But, all those rookies who toughed out the 2000 schedule will undoubtedly do better.

Part of the reason for the terrible results on defense last year were the penalties. Young players sometimes don't get the benefit of the doubt from the referees, so you can imagine how many calls go against a team that plays with that many rookies. The reacquisition of defensive lineman Dana Stubblefield will limit the double-teaming on Bryant Young.

On offense, Jeff Garcia appears to be the heir apparent to Steve Young. In fact, he was so good that the 49er offense ranked him among the league's best. However, the loss of running back Charlie Garner will hurt the ground game. San Francisco is hoping that either rookie Kevan Barlow or veteran Garrison Hearst will emerge as the clear-cut starter in the backfield. With Bill Walsh manning this past draft, the 49ers are sure to have a star or two emerge. If the running game is 3/4 what it was last year, and the defense remains statistically in the middle of the pack, it is not unreasonable to forecast an 8-8 season with gusts of good play, possibly ending in a 9-7 record.

Well? What do you say Crime Dog?We are still waiting on Devil Rays slugger Fred McGriff's decision. Will he waive his no-trade clause and accept a move to the Chicago Cubs? Or will he remain close to home in Tampa Bay and keep playing for the worst team in baseball? You've got to admire a man like McGriff. He wants to stay close to his family and live in his hometown. Fred is willing to spurn an offer to join a bona fide contender in the thick of a division race.

I mean even if it is the Cubs, it's still a shot at post-season right? You'd think that McGriff would jump at the chance to help take out an Atlanta Braves organization that deemed him too old. On the other hand, Fred did win a World Series ring in 1995 and has had his share of playoff experience. It's a tough call.

If I were McGriff, I'd get them to tear up my current contract, making me a free agent at the end of the year. That way, I could play for a contender and return for one last year in Tampa for whatever they could afford to pay me. (Just a side note, but what was the GM of Tampa thinking when he traded a guy with a no-trade clause in his contract? Shouldn't he have spoken to McGriff before any trade was made? Just a thought...)

Caps spend $$$ for Jagr; is it enough?Now that the Washington Capitals have landed former Pens captain Jaromir Jagr, will it propel them to a Cup? Not likely. Although the Caps have acquired a man that is probably the most skilled player in the league, they haven't gotten good enough to go further in the playoffs.

Aside from Jagr and Peter Bondra, who will score the goals this year? Trevor Linden? I don't think so. When Trevor Linden is your top line center and he hasn't scored 20 goals in a few years, you've got a problem.

Besides, what does it say about an organization when it's willing to move Adam Oates in favor of Linden? Hockey people say that Oates is getting too old. Yet the Caps probably won't win their division or make the playoffs without Oates. Besides, when was the last time you said to yourself, "Boy, Jagr had a great playoff year, he dominated that series!" The fact remains that Jagr doesn't make it a habit of showing up every game for the postseason. When a guy says he wants out of a city during the conference finals, you know that he isn't about to turn up the level of play for anyone.

C-Web gets C-NotesNow that the Sacramento Kings and Chris Webber have agreed on a deal that keeps him in town, you have to wonder what all the fuss was about. For months, Webber was saying that he didn't want to remain a King because he felt Sacramento didn't have enough of a nightlife. While players like Antonio Davis worry about where to send their kids to school, Webber's biggest concern was whether or not he could go club hopping every night. In fact, Webber was contemplating a move to Detroit, just because they had a more "happening" city (it couldn't have been to simply play for the woeful Pistons).

Chris probably realized he'd be no happier playing for a losing team in a great city than playing for a great team in a boring city. He chose to stay with the Kings, probably because they're the only team that will tolerate his 55% free throw shooting and constant hogging of the ball.